NEW YORK — After getting run out of the playoffs in the first round by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, the New York Rangers made another move to improve their speed.

They also got a little younger in the process.

The Rangers on Monday traded center Derick Brassard to the Ottawa Senators for forward Mika Zibanejad in a deal involving players coming off career seasons.

The deal includes draft picks, with the Rangers receiving the Senators’ second-round draft pick in 2018. Ottawa will get the Rangers’ seventh-round pick that year.

“I think the potential is there for more upside,” Rangers General Manager Jeff Gorton said of Zibanejad. “He is just scratching the surface at age 23. There are not a lot of guys who have done what he has done as far as (scoring 20 goals) before that age.”

Zibanejad skated in 81 games with Ottawa and had 21 goals and 30 assists. He established career highs in games played, goals, assists, points, game-winning goals (seven), and faceoff win rate (50.5 percent). He has scored at least 20 goals in each of the past two seasons.

The 28-year-old Brassard, who is returning to his hometown, had a career-high 27 goals and finished second on the team with 58 points in 80 games last season. His 31 assists were 10 less than the previous season.

“I was a little shocked when it happened today,” Brassard said. “But I’m really happy to be joining the Sens and playing at home. I really like their team, I really like the balance of their team all the way from the goaltender all the way out to the forwards. I think they’re the up-and-coming team and with Guy Boucher being the coach, I think it’s going to be really good for the team.”

Senators General Manager Pierre Dorion believes Brassard is a better player at this point than Zibanejad.

“Our ultimate goal is to make the playoffs again, and we feel that Derick’s going to help us make the playoffs,” Dorion said. “There’s also more: We feel that Derick provides great talent, brings leadership into our room. He’s someone that’s played a lot of games in the NHL, more than Mika.”

Zibanejad will be a restricted free agent after the 2016-17 season and will earn $2.62 million.

Brassard is under contract through 2018-19, earning $5 million annually.

Zibanejad gives New York a player who has had success in shootouts. He has scored on 13 of his 28 career shootout attempts, and he has five deciding goals in the shootout.

• The Rangers also signed Swedish forward Robin Kovacs to an entry-level contract.

Kovacs, 19, was a third-round draft pick in 2015.

Gorton said the Rangers decided not to buy out the contract of veteran defenseman Dan Girardi. Girardi has a cap hit of $5.5 million this season.

SHARKS: San Jose signed forward Matt Nieto to a one-year contract.

Nieto, 23, was a restricted free agent whose rights were retained by the Sharks last month. He had eight goals and nine assists in 67 games while also playing a penalty-killing role last season.

DEVILS: New Jersey signed defenseman Reece Scarlett, 23, to a one-year, two-way contract worth $600,000 if he makes the NHL roster.

Scarlett played last season with Albany of the American Hockey League.